| Biography | Richard Armitage is an English film, television, theatre and voice actor. He received recognition in the UK with his first leading role as John Thornton in the British television programme North & South (2004). His role as dwarf prince and leader Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit brought him international recognition. Other notable roles include John Proctor in Yaël Farber's stage production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Francis Dolarhyde in Hannibal, Lucas North in Spooks, John Porter in Strike Back, Daniel Miller in EPIX spy series Berlin Station and Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood. He voiced Trevor Belmont in the Netflix adaptation of Castlevania.
After graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Armitage initially sought theatre work and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). He turned to film and television roles when he noticed that leading stage roles went to actors with name recognition who could bring in patrons to fill venues. After twelve years away and having earned that name recognition, Armitage returned to the stage in 2014 taking his first leading role in a major production. He played John Proctor in the successful and critically acclaimed production of The Crucible at The Old Vic, and earned an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor.
One of Armitage's trademarks is his baritone voice, which he has employed as a voice actor since 2006. While working on the TV series Robin Hood, he was asked to record audiobooks for the first season of that series. Armitage has recorded several audiobooks and has worked as a narrator on TV and radio shows and adverts. |